Erik's Blog

Thoughts and photos from an American living in Spain.

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6 Comments

1. alan :

   That was great. At the end one of those sappy country songs came to mind. A mother who is singing to her daughter…

   I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack

   I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
   Never settle for the path of least resistance
   Living might mean taking chances
   But they’re worth taking
   Lovin’ might be a mistake
   But it’s worth making
   Don’t let some hell bent heart
   Leave you bitter
   When you come close to selling out
   Reconsider
   Give the heavens above
   More than just a passing glance

   And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
   I hope you dance

2. Paul :

   I enjoyed that video. It reminded me of a line from your Grandfather’s eulogy: “He was a man who could play hard and work hard on the same day”.

   When I was four, he taught Psych, and his best friend Gene taught History, and they arranged with the U of M Extension Service to have matching schedules on Tuesday and Wednesday of each week. On Tuesdays, they both had a 4:00 pm class at Hillsdale College. Then they drove to Kalamazoo, where they each taught a 7 pm class. After that, they drove to the Hasting Hotel, where every Tuesday night they enjoyed one bottle of beer and one game of chess in the bar before going to bed. On Wednesday morning, they got up early, rented a boat, and went fishing on Lake Iroquois. That afternoon they would drive to Grand Rapids, where they each taught a 4:00 pm class and a 7:00 pm class.

   Work hard, but mostly, play well and often. Every day should include mucho fun.

3. Marg :

   Hi Erik!
   I’ve just came across your blog while trying to google information about mondragon…and was I surprised to see a blog about mondragon and the basque country, but i guess it’s becoming quite common to find blogs about almost anything:)
   I have just accepted a job offer in mondragon and I was wondering if you could be kind enough to send me some more information about the place. Maybe you could combine your viewpoint with Marga’s own.
   Thanks a million and congratulation on your wedding!
   Marg

4. erik :

   Marg, your name is so close to being really beautiful! I don’t actually live in Mondragon, I live in Cantabria, but because Marga’s parents are there, and it’s only 90 minutes away, we visit often. I wish I had a better review to give you, but I’m going to go the honest route, so here it is:

   Neither Marga or I would ever want to live in Mondragon.

   • It’s too political. There is Basque separatist graffiti everywhere, and posters of ETA “heroes” that have been “wrongly” imprisoned for their terrorist activity.
   • Parking is a nightmare. It’s very normal to spend 20-30 minutes looking for a place to park, and then elect to park illegally because there is simply no other option. Mondragon is in a valley (and therefore there’s no room to expand), and most of the 4+ story apartment buildings were built in an era when 0.7 parking places per apartment seemed like too much parking space. Now each apartment houses two parents that drive their own cars, and two 30-year-old children that drive their own cars. They still live at home because…
   • House prices are absolutely absurd. A 50m², two-bedroom flat for 400,000€ is just insane. And they continue to build more houses and add no new jobs (yours must be a very specialized position).
   • The town hall is converting even more parking and roads into pedestrian streets. The result is that to drive from point A to a point B that is 200 meters away, it’s very common that you will have to leave the town by the motorway, enter it again at the next exit, and spend 20 minutes driving. Plus another 30 minutes if you want to park, of course.

   Sorry to give you such a negative opinion. To conclude: Rent, walk, and remember that you’re not in Spain, you’re in Euskadi (the Basque Country). Buena suerte con tu trabajo nuevo.

5. Marg :

   Hi Erik!
   Hmm, thank you for your opinion? I seriously thank you for that…really! I’m not as thrilled as I was before…I’m supposed to join a language school there, to teach EFL. I’ve done it in a few countries now, but never in Spain…sorry, in the Basque Country.
   And I actually have to rely on your opinion because even the school didn’t have much to say about the place and I can’t find any info about it.
   I guess I’ll find out about it first-hand…
   Thanks a million.
   Marg (which is short for Margarida, a really beautiful name, eheh)

6. erik :

   Yes, there’s pretty much zero tourism industry in Mondragon, which is probably why there’s such a lack of information. It’s a factory town first and slowly becoming a university town second.

   At least the countryside is pretty scenic. If you see me around, probably on a weekend, please say hello.

   Glad I could help!